


It Started At the Starting Block

by adelaide_rain



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Making Out, Misunderstandings, Swim Club, teenagers being teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-11
Updated: 2014-05-11
Packaged: 2018-01-20 03:31:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1494964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adelaide_rain/pseuds/adelaide_rain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pitch and Jack are swim club rivals, but out of the pool they’re a lot more than that. </p><p>(High school swim club AU. Sorry not sorry.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Started At the Starting Block

This is not fucking cool.

Pitch is a foot taller than Jack - surely that’s an unfair advantage? Bunny or North are closer to Pitch in height, but it was unanimously agreed (by everyone else in the swim club) that Jack be the one to race him.

“You’re the fastest, Jack! Like salmon!” North says, swishing his hand through the air like a demented fish.

“It’s true, mate,” Bunny says, and doesn’t bother to hide his smirk. “Besides, you still owe me one for telling Tooth about the surprise party.”

Sandy doesn’t say anything, just smiles apologetically and shrugs.

“Fine,” Jack growls. If they’re ganging up on him like that there’s no use in arguing further. Better by far to channel his anger into swimming.

When it comes to stepping up on the starting block, he’s momentarily distracted by the long lines of Pitch’s body, the dark Japanese-style clouds of the tattoo spiralling around his arm. That wasn’t there last year; it looks good.

But then his lips thin. Nachtmahr High has always been their school’s bitterest rival. It doesn’t matter that Pitch’s arms look deliciously toned, or that his ass looks insanely good in that Speedo. This decides who goes through to the state championships. Jack has to win.

The race starts, and none of that matters any more. All that matters is the water. Jack’s fluid movements. The rhythmic lungfuls of air.

And then the cheering.

Jack looks over at Pitch, who seems equally unsure who won. It was close, and if that foot of height difference meant Pitch’s victory Jack is going to be pissed.

And then the shout goes out, “The victory goes to Golden High!”

Pitch slaps the water in frustration and climbs out, pushing away the teammate who tries to console him.

But Jack is pulled out of the water and carried into the changing room, and he couldn’t give a damn about Pitch’s poor sportsmanship.

Until the next day when he’s leaving school, and Pitch pushes him against the wall. Jack has no idea where he came from, it’s like he materialised out of the fucking shadows. But now he has Jack pressed against the wall, one slender arm on either side of him. His tattoo peeks from underneath his t-shirt sleeve and Jack can smell the faint scent of chlorine on his skin.

“I should have won that,” Pitch hisses and Jack glares up at him.

“Too fucking bad. You didn’t.”

Pitch opens his mouth as if to say something but instead it ends up as a baring of teeth and then his head falls. “I wanted to win,” he says in a quiet voice. “Just this once, I wanted to win.”

Jack doesn’t know what to say to him, and has to push away the bizarre urge to run comforting fingers through Pitch’s hair.

“Still. What does it matter now? You won. You’re the ones who’ll be going on to state championships, and you’re the ones who’ll have to deal with all the stress that brings,” Pitch says, lifting his head and giving a shadow of his usual smirk.

“Is that why you came here? To give that lame excuse of an insult?”

“Actually… I came to ask you to dinner.”

Jack’s mind freezes for a moment and he stares up at Pitch. “Is- is that a joke?”

“Does it sound like a joke?” Pitch scowls, and the faint flush of pink in his cheeks tells Jack that no, unbelievable as it may be, Pitch actually, genuinely just asked him on a date. “Never mind, Frost, why I expected you to-”

He turns away but before he can leave, Jack grabs his wrist. Pitch glares and Jack grins.

“Sushi. You’re paying. The expensive place on Commercial.”

“…is that a yes?”

“As long as you promise to come to the championships and cheer for me.”

Pitch turns properly and pushes Jack back against the wall. His hands go to Jack’s shoulders, and Jack’s hands go to Pitch’s waist. Beneath the t-shirt his skin is warm, the muscles hard. Though Jack’s seen him mostly naked many times, the next time, he thinks, is going to be very different.

“That would depend on how the date goes,” Pitch says, shifting closer so that their bodies are pressed together. Jack swallows down a moan. “But I might be amenable.”

“Good. I’ve always wanted my own personal cheerleader,” Jack says, and pulls Pitch down for a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by _Free!_ , written because there can't be enough swimming club fics in the world as far as I'm concerned. I wrote this a while ago on my [tumblr account](http://adelaiderain.tumblr.com/), just finally getting it posted over here too since a lot of people prefer AO3 to tumblr :)


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